Page 32 - Hikayat-Patani-The-Story-Of-Patani 1

A SHORT HISTORY OF PATANI 23

Patani’s position, as Burmese troops on several occasions campaigned
in the peninsula region. When Ayudhya fell to the Burmese in 1767,
Nakhqn Si Thammarat went into rebellion and contended with the
Governor of Tak, Phraya Tak (Sin) (King Taksin), and others for the
succession to the throne. Patani was a natural object of Nakh^n Si
Thammarat’s troops, which seem to have taken the town in 1768.122
Patani escaped attack by Taksin’s forces in 1769—70 only by swearing
allegiance to the new king.123 Patani refused, however, to assist the Thai
in repulsing another Burmese attack in 1776,124 and it was only a matter
of time before its resistance to Thai control led to a full-scale attack,
which ensued in the wake of another Thai campaign against the Bur­
mese, who had marched through the whole of the isthmian region in
1785.125 On this occasion, Patani again refused to do homage to the
Thai,126 and the Thai responded with a massive invasion which
succeeded in taking the town and installing a vassal ruler.127 His at­
tempts to organize resistance to the Thai only provoked yet another
attack in 1791, after which a Thai governor was installed in Patani,
while Thai settlers were introduced and the new governor’s relatives
given government positions.128
On several occasions in the nineteenth century Patani attempted to
rebel against the exercise of Thai authority, or became embroiled in her
neighbour’s attempts to do so; and each time the consequence was the
further reduction of Patani’s strength and independence. Particularly
fateful was the rebellion of a Malay governor of Patani in 1817, after
which Patani was divided into seven small provinces — Patani, Yaring,
Saiburi, Ra-ngae, Yala, Rahman, and Nqngcik — “for the reason that
[Pajtani’s extent had been great and its strength considerable” while
Songkhla, responsible for Thai control over Patani, “had few forces and
was not likely to be able to control Tani [alone].” 129 Songkhla, how­
ever, was not consistently successful thereafter: troops from the capital
had to be sent south to put down a Patani rebellion associated with the
Kedah troubles in 1830—32.130 Thereafter Bangkok generally was able

122 Wyatt, 1967, pp. 33—34; Syukri, p. 81.
123 Syukri, pp. 82—83.
124 Syukri, p. 84.
125 Syukri, pp. 84—92; Prawat, paras. 44—47; PMP, pp. 4—5.
120 Prawat, para. 44; Syukri, pp. 85—86.
127 Syukri, pp. 93—94.
128 Syukri, pp. 94—100; Prawat, paras. 45—47; and PMP, pp. 4—5.
129 Prawat, para. 49; PMP, pp. 7—12; Syukri, pp. 100—101.
130 Syukri, pp. 103—110; Prawat, paras. 50—51; PMP, p. 16.